Prolific smooth jazz composer, guitarist and music producer, Paul Brown, has brought the “funky” back into his music with his newly released album, The Funky Joint, a debut on Woodward Avenue Records.

A double Grammy® winner, Brown and his Gibson L-5 journeyed back to R&B basics to deliver a double entendre of that funky feeling and a real place, The Funky Joint. “I want my music to make you feel, move and groove, with deep pocketed rhythms your body can easily feel a part of,” smiled Brown during an interview about the March 6 release.

His dreamlike, funky musical intent translates into uplifting reality, with tracks destined to make the hips sway, the toes tap, and the eyes softly half-close. On the funky flipside, the album was recorded at Brown’s personal studio, referred to for years as… you guessed it, The Funky Joint.

Woodward Avenue Records is pleased to announce the signing of double Grammy winner and guitarist, Paul Brown, for the recording of Paul’s new album entitled “The Funky Joint,” due to be released on Woodward on March 6, 2012. Paul Brown also serves as producer on his new album, which features appearances by Boney James, Euge Groove, Bob James, Jonathan Fritzen and “The Producers” tour-mate, Darren Rahn.

“This album allows Paul to unleash his musical roots and just let it rip” says Mark Nordman, President and CEO of Woodward Avenue Records, “while at the same time being true to the sound that has earned him over 50 # 1 Hits.”

After switching to the Stratocaster on his previous album, Paul Brown returns to his trademark Gibson L-5 and engages in some of the richest, most expressive playing of his career on his sixth solo recording, the perfectly titled deeply grooving, blues and R&B intensive Woodward Avenue debut The Funky Joint. The veteran guitarist and composer complements his crisp and cool melodies and licks with harmonies and solos by many of the top artists that he has produced or played with over the years, including Boney James, Bob James, Euge Groove, Marc Antoine, Bob Baldwin and Darren Rahn. Yet whether he’s amping up or chilling out, he keeps his axe front and center as the emotional lead voice.

The invitation to enter The Funky Joint begins with the mid tempo title track, which features the rising coolness of the Jerry Hey horns and cool retro atmospheres behind Brown’s crisp melody. With a classic soul-jazz vibe reminiscent of Stanley Turrentine’s classic “Sugar,” “As Clear As Day” is a wistful off the beaten path venture featuring a light funk swirl of Boney James’ sax, Brown’s electric, Antoine’s acoustic and colorful synth flute harmonies by Marco Basci. Taking us next on a moody and sensual excursion to “Montreux,” Brown floats his easygoing lines over Basci’s simmering keys and touches of retro-soul elegance; as it heats up, the track features more playful guitar action and a shimmering Fender Rhodes solo.

On the seductive, easy swaying “Say It Like It Is,” Brown kicks it with some crunchy, shuffling percussion textures and dark toned keys before drifting into a gentle tropical vibe enhanced by the horns and elegant wordless vocals. The reflective ballad “Love Don’t Come EZ,” featuring Brown’s first lead vocal of the set, finds him complementing his lyrics about what it takes to make love work with dark guitar tones and hypnotic hand clap percussion. From easy to hard, “Tuff Times” meditates beautifully on the challenges of romance with a strumming style and sharp tone like that of Larry Carlton, backed by the horns and elegant piano harmonies of guest star Jonathan Fritzen. Brown penned the mid tempo, easy grooving “Backstage Pass” with keyboardists Bob Baldwin and Bob James, and with some crafty arrangement choices, the result is a spirited all out duet between Brown and James, with the pianist’s graceful runs playing off the easy high toned strum lines as hypnotic atmospheres color the background.

On “Ya Dig,” Brown translates the chemistry he and Rahn share onstage into a soul searching ballad; as the passion rises, both the guitar and Rahn’s sax (which is doubled on the hook) reach exciting heartfelt places. While “From the Ground Up” is billed featuring Euge Groove, Brown lays a thoughtful bluesy ballad foundation before the saxman enters and takes it to the next emotional place; Brown and Groove’s soaring bluesy fun is well worth the few minute wait. Though it’s a slight departure from the rest of the set, Brown’s closer, the powerful uplifting blues vocal tune “I Get A Feeling,” takes his artistry to a level that some of the previous simmering blues excursions only hinted at. It may come at the end, and it might surprise listeners who best know Brown for his in the pocket easy funk, but “I Get A Feeling” is clearly the emotional centerpiece of this rewarding trip to The Funky Joint.

Although located in Poland saxophonist Marcin Nowakowski successfully spreads the word respectively his music around the world. Milestones of his solo career are the albums Smooth Night (2005) and Better Days (2009). Now he returns with his third project Shine (2011).

While his previous albums didn’t get the deserved response, his new album Shine is destined to be his breakthrough in the States. After all, even the venerable jazz magazine Jazziz took notice from his album and reported about it with praise.

The weather God was good to us. Bright shining sunrays flooded through the glass building of the Kurhaus Göggingen in Augsburg. On Friday, September 16, 2011, started the 4th annual Smooth Jazz Festival. We already arrived at the venue in the afternoon to meet Jessy J and Paul Brown for a small talk after the rehearsal in the inner courtyard of the Kurhaus. Peter Hoerd (GrooveFM) conducted the interviews, we hope to present you soon.

Promoter of this event was Christian Bößner, who lives in Augsburg and organizes since several years Smooth Jazz Festivals in Europe. This year was special, because Christian already promoted the Smooth Jazz In The Cube 2011, a festival in the Austrian mountains May 20-22, 2011 at CUBE Biberwier-Lermoos. The event featured Nils, Brian Culbertson, Jackiem Joyner and Nick Colionne, who thrilled the international audience with their exceptional performances.

Christian shows an admirable staying power and ability to assert the triumphal march of Smooth Jazz in Europe. Against all odds he makes it possible to host a great event with many International stars of the Smooth Jazz scene and this every year.

Smooth Jazz legend, producer, artist, sound engineer and double Grammy winner Paul Brown released his newest album on September 28th via Shanachie Entertainment. Already, this eagerly anticipated album is being anointed by his loyal fans, radio personalities, and industry icons as his best yet.

The album opener, “Sugar Fish,” eases the listener into Brown-ville with the help of Jessy J’s flute and Greg Adams’ flugelhorn. Further in, don’t miss Brown’s unaffected reunion with Marc Antoine in “Right Back At Ya,” that continues their magical spell created on the 2009 hit album, Foreign Exchange.

Tagged by critics as Babyface of smooth jazz, producer Paul Brown made superstars out of saxmen Boney James and Richard Elliot and gave guitarist Peter White a simmering irresistible groove. He performed with Al Jarreau, Boney James, Jeffery Osborne, Kirk Whalum, Larry Carlton, George Benson, Patti Austin, Marc Antoine and many more.

Paul’s solo projects are Up Front (2004), followed by The City (2005) and White Sand (2007). He also did a fantastic collaboration with Marc Antoine on the album ForeignXchange (2009). Marc commented: “We put our hearts and souls into the music and feel very strongly that our fans are going to be as excited about these songs as we are.”

Paul’s newest album is entitled Love You Found Me and is scheduled for release September 28th on Shanachie Entertainment. Paul invited a lot of great musicians to his new project like Jeff Carruthers, Dax Reynosa, Boney James, DeYon Dobson, Michael Ripoll and more. For further details about the musicians scroll down to the really big list.

The album starts with the bluesy Sugarfish. A relaxed finger snapping melody with a hooking aura Paul has co-written with Jeff Carruthers. Jeff already worked with Paul on his albums Up Front and White Sand.